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THE BEMIDJI DATLY PIONEE VOLUME XIV, NO. 143, BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, MONDAY E VENING, JUNE 12, 1916. FORTY CENTS PER MONTH ——e HUGHES GOES TO NEW YORK; MAY HAVE CONFERENCE WITH ROOSEVELT Coufity Auditor Corrects ErroneousImpressionasto Cause of High Taxes County Official Submits Tabulated Statement of Tax Levies in Bemidji; Construction of Ditches Not Responsible for High Taxes; County Board Doing Everything Possible to Lower Taxes. BOARD OF EQUALIZATION SPENT THREE WEEKS IN In a letter to the editor of the Pio- neer, County Auditor J. L. George today corrects an erroneous impres- sion as to the cause of high taxes in this county. The letter and tabulated statement should be studied carefully by every citizen. Much Misunderstanding. It is as follows: Bemidji, Minn., June 12, 1916. To the Editor: There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding as to the cause of high taxes in this county, and the board of commissioners and the county auditor are many times blamed as being the cause. For the purpose of correcting this crroneous impression, I herewith sub- mit a tabulated statement of the tax levies for state, county, city of Be- midji and School Dist. No. 7, during a period of the last five years, which, it carefully studied, will show every taxpayer in the city just where the money has gone during that time. ENDEAVOR TO EQUALIZE TAXES The money will not be wasted. There has been no other levy made on account of the ditches and while T expect and always have expected that after some years the county will have to make levies to meet the shortage, it will be so small compared with the development of the county that people will wonder how it was done. And there has been hundreds of thousands of acres placed on the tax list during the last few years that never would have been owned by private parties without the drainage which has been done. 150,000 Acres Sold. At the last tax sale alone, over 150,000 acres of government lands were sold for the delinquent interest on the drainage assessment, and in many cases a part or all of the ditch lien was paid, amounting to over $12,000, besides the interest. Parties purchasing must pay the 1915 in- terest before patents will be issued. BEMIBJI NINE DEFEATS BAGLEY IN A SWATFEST Game is One Sided; Clearwater County Seat Nine is Overwhelmed. BENTON ON FIRST BASE MAKES HIT WITH FANS Team Bats Around and Hits at Will; Final Score is 21 to 2. In a one-sided and uninteresting game, the Bagley baseball team was defeated by the Bemidji nine Sunday afternoon at the new athletic park by a score of 21 to 2. The visitors were never dangerous except in the first inning when they secured two scores on two hits and two errors. One Hit in 5 Innings. Paul started on the mound for Be- midji but was relieved by Kanner- berg “who allowed only one hit in five innings. In the seventh inning Ralph, an- other Bemidji twirler went in and held the visitors safe, allowing only two hits. Wilson and Dexter com- posed the battery for Bagley. All this helps to clear up the ditch BEMIDJI CITIZENS T0 DONATE T0 MILL CITY Y. M. G. A Money to Be Used to Furnish a Room; Namé of Bemidji on Door. CAMPAIGN IS ON TO 'y RAISE $1,000,000 W. L. Brooks to Receive Funds; Donations of $5 and $10 Accepted. Bemidji citizens are to be given an opportunity to donate to the Min- neapolis Y. M. C. A. fund. q The Minneapolis organization is campaigning to raise $1,000,000 for the Y. M. C. A. and Bemidji has been asked to aid. The funds raised in Bemidji will be used for the furnish- ing of a “Bemidji” room at the Y. M. C. A. One hundred dollars must be raised in Bemidji. Brooks Receives Donations. Anyone who wishes to donate 1s requested to give the money to W. L. Brooks at the Northern National bank. Donations of five and ten dol- lars \\riyll be received. The telegram from Joseph Chap- man and Frederick White, Minneap- olis Y. M. C. A. campaign managers (Continued on Page 4) COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF TAX LEVIES FOR FIVE YEARS, CITY OF BEMIDJIL. s | onuRAYT ATy 100928 The county revenue rate has de- creased as the county valuation has increased annually. Error in 1914 The county road and bridge levy is made annually for the full amount allowed by law, which in 1911 and 1912 was two mills. In 1913, 1914 and 1915 the legal levy made was three mills. In 1914, through an er- ror, the rate was made for three- tenths of a mill less than it should have been. This was made up in 1915. The rate for the sinking fund is made to supply the needs. In 1913 and 1914 the state levied an amount sufficient to cover the in- terest on ditch loans made the county. But for that, the total rate for the county in those years would have been less than in 1912. The amounts collected from these levies still stand intact in the county treasury and there will probably be no further levy. - Sanatorium Increases. The sanatorium levies of 1914 and 1915 also .increased the total for those years. The state rural highway levies of 1915 is for the purpose of paying the county’s share of the cost of those highways and all admit that the money was well expended, and many wish there were more available for the purpose. In 1911, 66 1-3 per cent of all the money eollected by the county came back to the taxpayers of the city in school and city taxes. In 1912, 64 1-3 per cent came back to the city and school. In 1913, 66 per cent came back to the city and school. In 1914, 69 1-4 per cent came back. In 1915, 75 per cent will come back this year. Ditches Not Responsible. You will notice that the state and county levy increases from 18.8 mills in 1911, to 21.9 in 1913, and has since decreased to 20 mills in 1915, in spite of the fact that there was a sanatorium levy of nearly a mill in 1914, and .90 mills in 1915, together with a rural highway levy of 2.25 mills in 1915. There has been a general idea that the construction of ditches in the northern part of the county has been responsible for the high taxes. This statement shows plainly that such 1s not the case. For some of the first ditches constructed the money was borrowed from the state and for those loans the state made a levy in 1913 of 2.14 mills and another in 1914 of 2.1 mills. No Further Levy. The collections from these levies still remain in the county treasury, and in all probability no further levy will be necessary, and what remains in the fund when the final bonds are paid for those ditches, can be trans- ferred to some other fund, and in this way avolding a levy for that fund. ) | =3 Q a @ Q 2w g = 9 =@ ¢ B £ 5 2 2 7 2 & # % @ 'S < - g. m E w9 2 2 8 & 4 @ 2 g 2 8 8 4 s & B ® 2 e P I & 8 ) @ 3 B £ & 8 1] I .95 90 2.25 £ g ¢ 4 @ 4 & 3 g -5 g 5 g E g S, = w o » = = - o af 2 ¢ EBE T Fao = 0 oouu 8 ¥ < s < 9 & & B8 2 § -4 2 £ F.F 3 " i 29 B B 22 g . ¢ & & b = 2 o a 2 13 ¢ B E § CT » g iE o a =1 B oR @ 2 ] 5 e g g G g g o b -1 > City School Total 14.92 18.8 59 5.9 1.5 b5 20 186 174 1.0 16.4 3.4 19.8 56.0 16.42 20.0 8.0 48 1.6 5 1.3 .3 165 1.0 155 2.9 .6 20.0 56.5 16.87 || 21.9 [|10.7 6.7 1.4 .8 1.6 1.0 222 1.0 17.7 29 .7 22.3 66.4 16.75 20.5 [|10. 33 15 .9 3.7 1.2 206 1.0 208 3.7 26.5! || 66.6 16.55 20.0 [|18.9 3.4 1.8 1.0 3.9 3.4 324 1.0 222 3.7 26.9 79.0 debt, and while probably not ten per cent of the purchasers will settle on the lands purchased, they will pay the interest and principal as it be- comes due, or someone else will pur- chase the tax certificates on the land, which, if not redeemed by the own- ers, will enable new men to get even cheaper lands than the first pur- chasers. Aside from the matter of ditch taxes, which are not paid by the county at large, I think an apology is due from the taxpayers of the county to the county board for entertain- ing for a moment the idea that they (the board) have done one thing towards raising the taxes. On the contrary they have done all possible to lower them, as this table of rates will show. Spends Full Time. Regarding the valuations of the county, I want to say that the board of equalization spent three weeks (all the time they could legally spend) in 1914 in the endeavor to equalize the different sections, and while the final result was not just as they would have liked themselves, they felt sure that the property of the county was better equalized than it had ever been, and the only change that could have been made would have been to decrease all the prop- erty of the county by a percentage. And the only effect that would have had would be to increase the rate, and the tax would have been the same. The city was not touched, but remained at the assessor’s valuation. Were it legal, and I could do'it, I would increase the road and bridge levy to double or triple the present legal levy. We want roads and good roads, and it costs money to get them. In this respect the diteh country is getting ahead of the southern part of the county, as for every mile of ditch there is a mile of road, and while some or them are not the best of roads, some of them are, and any of them are better than none. But the lands benefitted pay (Continued on Page 4) TEAGHERS’ TRAINING SCHOOLIS OPENED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL The teachers’ training school for the counties of Beltrami, Cass, Kooch- iching, Itasca and Clearwater was opened at the high school this morn- ing. tered. The school will continue to July 21. ‘W. P. Dyer, superintendent of the Bemidji schools, is the conductor of the training school. Leading educators of the northern part of the state compose the instrue- tor corps. SEVEN FILE ON 160 AGRES UNDER VOLSTEAD ACT Seven persons filed on 160 acres | of land each in Beltrami county un- der the Volstead act Saturday. The land was purchased at the recent land sale. Those who filed were Thomas D. || Newkirk, Thomas F. O’Brien, Miss|! Alvina K. Radenbaech, Miss Myrtle | F. Hufty and Miss Thilda Snedder, all of Minneapolis, and Otto Willim and Miss Emiline Mohr of St. Paul. Over 100 students were regis- i Mr. and Mrs. C. Winter, their son, J. D. Winter, and Miss Jennie Grat- ton spent yesterday at Itasca State park. Miss Dorothy Morse of Detroit, Minn., is a guest at the A. G. Wedge home this week. THE CUB REPORTER SCOOP SeneP-TLL HAVE To Aske N0t TO TROT DOWN 0 sTLUs AND 87Y e R TH NATNAL oy ) DEMOCRATIC. inviting Bemidji to take part in the campaign, is as follows: ' “Minneapolis campaign for one million dollars for Young Men’s Christian Association building pass- ed eight hundred thousand yesterday. Building will have two hundred and fifty rooms to care for men from Min- nesota towns, including Bemidji. Will you guarantee to give or raise one hundred dollars to furnish room and permit name on door. Wire ac- ceptance.” CAN'T GET 1918 CONVENTION; NOW AFTER 1919 MEET Bemidji won’t be able to get the 1918 convention of the state fire- men. This became known yesterday when word was received from the secre- tary of the organization stating that Bemidji was too late in applying as a written request for the meet must be made ten days in advance of the Teeting. The meeting beginsg tomorrow in Bemidji will make a strong bid for the 1919 convention and a strong delegation will leave tonight for Chis- fholm to campaign for the meeting. Cards will be distributed advertising Bemidji. Among those who will leave tonight for the convention are Chief of Po- lice Frank Ripple, Chief Herbert A. Doran of the fire department, Alder- man R. E. Miller, Carroll C. Hill, Paul Winklesky, M. Downs and E. Ripple. Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Morse and f daughters, Dorothy and Helen and their son and Mrs. John -Cartwright of Detroit, Minn., motored to Bemidji vesterday and were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Wedge. ~- Hughes’ statements, ROOSEVELT DEGLINES PROGRESSIVE HONOR; THROUGH WITH POLITIGS Colonel Informs Party That He Cannot Accept Nomination Now. FAIRBANKS ACCEPTS VICE PRESIDENT NOMINATION Hughes Goes to New York; Hitch- cock Not a Candidate for Chairmanship. (By United Press) New York, June 12.—Charles Evan Hughes, former justice of the U. 8. supreme court, now the Republican candidate for president, is in New York today. It is reported that he will hold a conference with Theodore Roosevelt, who has declined the Pro- gressive nomination. . Just Smiles. When asked by a United Press representative today whether or not he would meet Roosevelt, the Repub- lican leader just smiled. ) At Oyster Bay, the only statement that could be secured from Theodore Rooscvelt was, “I'm through with politics.” Saturday night the colonel informed the Progressive party that he could not accept the nomination as their candidate. T. R. Declines, His statement follows: “I am very grateful for the honor’ you confer upon me by nominating me as president. I -cannot accept it at this time. I do not know the attitude of the candidate of the Republican party toward the vital questions of the day. Therefore, if you desire an immediate decision, I must decline the nomination. But if you prefer it, I suggest that my conditional refusal to run be placed in the hands of the Pro- gressive national committee. If when- he makes them, shall satisfy the committee that it is for the in- terest of the country that he be elected, they can act accordingly and treat my refusal as definite. If they are not satisfied, they can so notify the Progressive party, and at the same time they can confer with me and then deter- mine on whatever action we may severally deem appropriate to meet the needs of the country. —*“Theodore Roosevelt.” Parker Vice President. Captain John M. Parker of Louisi- ana, nominated for vice president by the Progressives, did not issue a statement. Charles Warren Fairbanks of Indi- ana, nominated vice president by the Republicans, accepted the nomina- tion. " Hughes issued a statement Satur- day night declaring his stand on va- rious matters. His statement in part is as follows: “I stand for the firm and un- flinching maintenance of all the rights of American citizens on land and sea. “I desire to see our diplomacy restored to its best standards. “I stand for an America which knows no ulterior purpose, for a patriotism that is single and complete. “I believe in preparedness not only entirely adequate for our defense, but with all thorough- ness to the end that in each branch of the service there may be the utmost efficiency under the most competent administra- tive heads. “There is no danger of mili- tarism. We have no lust for ter- ritory, no zeal for strife. “In preventing unjust dis- crimination we must still be zealous to assure the foundations of honest business.” Hughes before leaving Washington 4 % KK K K Kk § gistoriest * | * FARMER GETS $72.15 FOR STEER HERE Ole T. Haglund of the town of Frohn received $72.15 for a steer in a Bemidji market this morning. The four quar- ters of the animal weighed 479 pounds and brought 13 cents a pound. The hide was sold for $9.88. Wk ok ok okk ok k ok ok ok kb * ok ok ok ok ok ok ok kK Kk KKK KK KKK KKK K KK KK today promised to march ‘in the pre- paredness parade which will be given there Wednesday. Frank Hitchcock, who engineered the Hughes boom, stated in Chicago today that he would absolutely not be a candidate for chairmanship of the Republican national committee. Hughes today stated that he would be unable to say whether Hitchcock would be named. ‘Wall street received Hughes’ nom- ination with optimism today. Ad- vances of a point or more were gen- eral when the stock exchange closed. RUSSIANS ROUTE AUSTRIANS IN A STRONG ADVANCE Capture Demidovka, 15 Miles from Dubna; Teutons Flee. . ITALIANS IN OFFENSIVE ALONG TRENTINO FRONT German Attacks on Trenches of Vaux Are Completely Repulsed. (By United Press) London, June 12.—The embassy today has a report that the Russians have completely routed the Austrians near Czernowitz. Two en- tire divisions with generals, artillery and ammunition were captured. The Austrians are fleeing. Capture Village, Petrograd, June 12.—The Russians have captured Demidovka, 15 miles from Dubno. Germans Repulsed. Paris, June 12.—(Official)—Re- peated German attacks on trenches in.the Vaux district were completely repulsed. Are on Offensive. Rome, June 12.—The Italians have taken a general offensive along the Trentino front. This powerful at- tack has been timed with the Rus- sian offensive and reported withdraw- al of Austrians from Trentino. ED LEONARD PLEADS GUILTY TO $500,000 STAMP ROBBERY (By United Press) St. Paul, Minn.,, June 12.—Ed Leonard and George Bissett, both of Chicago, today pleaded guilty to the $500,000 Federal stamp robbery in St. Paul January 6. They were sen- tenced to three years at the Leaven- worth penitentiary. Russian Ed. Leonard is very well known in this city. He formerly made his home at Tenstrike and later was in the commission business in this city. F. Hanson of Minneapolis, accom- panied by his daughters, Marietta and Dorothy, arrived in Bemidji Sun- day and opened his summer home at the Gibbons cottage at Grand Forks Bay. Mrs. Hanson motored to Be- midji with E. Barbo who will be a guest at the Hanson home. The St. Louis Convention Won't Keep Scoop Very Busy OF COURSE. YOU JUST CAME. THRY A HARD WEEK \NICHICAGe S AR By "HOP’ sou\e-tvm ucMUGRATIC CAMP INGLOOM AGGOUNT OF T, RS ACTION Believed Among Leaders That There Will Not Be a Third Party. PLATFORM POINTS ARE - OUTLINED BY STONE Entire Convention Business.Could Be Transacted in Three Hours, % (By United Press) St. Louis, June 12.—There is gloom in the Democratic camp today on ac- count of Theodore Roosevelt’s action in refusing the Progressive nomina- tion. It is believed by leaders that there will not be a third party. “Pep” Lacking. “Pep” is lacking in regard to the convention “because everything will be cut and dried and there will be little chance for unexpected things to happen. Keynote speeches will be given ‘Wednesday. Thursday there will be more speeches and the platform will be considered. Friday there will be more speechmaking and one nomina- tion will be made. There will be scores of séconding. Saturday there will be one roll call for president, speeches and more speeches. Then there will be one roll call for vice president. May Discuss Weather. That is about all the Democrats will do at their convention. They may discuss the weather. For the first time in 16 years there is absolute unanimity of opinion of the ticket. It is believed that they would transact all the needed busi- ness in one three hours’ session. The only reason for spreading out is to permit the loyalists who contributed for the fund to bring the convention here to get their money back. Ontlines Platform. Senator Stone today stated that the Democratic platform would contain the following points: Democratic achievements in re- vising the tariff, in reorganizing the currency system and in inaugurating the income tax by way of proof of soundness of domestic policies. Praise of Wilson’s foreign poliey in keeping the United States at peace while maintaining a strict and honest neutrality. Praise of Wilson’s diplomatic vie- tory in gaining Germany’s pledge to discontinue submarining. ‘Will cite the prosperity and growth of the foreign trade. Will discuss Wilson’s attitude to- ward. Mexico, treated from a stand- point of a friend in need. Preparedness will be thoroughly considered. Chairman McCombs this afternoon stated that he has pre- pared a resolution asking a plank for a constitutional amendment prevent- ing a Federal judge from being ele- vated to any other office. This is an outgrowth of the Hughes nomination. MILITIA TO HAVE IMPORTANT MEETING AT HALL TONIGHT The Bemidji Naval Militia will have an important meeting and drill tonight at the city hall. Every member is ordered to report. At the meeting tonight the names and rates of the men going on the an- nual cruise of the militia will be sub- mitted. The annual cruise will be held on board the U. S. S. Rhode Island. The militia will report on board at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on July 15 and will disembark at the same place — on July 25. The cruise will take in Block Island Sound, sea maneuyers and liberty at Newport, R. I, CONDITIONS IN MEXICO REPORTED MORE SERIOUS — (By United Press) ‘Washington, June 12.—The state department today formally announced that the conditions in Mexico are be- coming more serious. The adminis- tration is considering calling Car- ranza’s attention to them. Laredo, Tex., June 12.—Fifteen Mexican bandits attacked four whites on the Coleman ranch and drove them in a brush fleld. They held them there and later escaped ‘with 83 horses. . 5 i S 3 § 1 A N S e 4 ] Ak